1984 Camaro
'98 Vortec 350 block and heads, block bored .030 over
Hypereutectic aluminum pistons giving 9.8:1 compression
RPM Air-Gap intake
Comp cams XR264HR hydraulic roller
Hedman longtubes
Edelbrock Thunder AVS 650 CFM carb

So far I've put about 20 miles on it. For some reason my coolant temp rises and hovers around 210-230 degrees. When I see it hover around 230 I shut it off. Brand new Autometer gauge.

New water pump, thermostat, all that good stuff. The system and cap passes a pressure test. Not leaking coolant or anything. Fan shroud intact. Timing advance is set at 12 initial and 21 total.

I hope I'm not running super lean or something... It is a "new" remanufactured carb...

Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

You don't mention the temp on the thermostat. I hope its a 160°. Is it the stock radiator or did you upgrade that as well?? Is your puke tank filling up when it runs that hot? I'm sure the more seasoned member will have other questions but these are good for a start.

 

No it's not
Why would you want a stat that low??????
Running in a fresh engine you want it getting up to operating temp as soon as possible to reduce wear.
All a low stat does is cause the engine to take longer to get up to temp; once the stat is open it has no effect on the operating temp

Maybe you should read
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wax_thermostatic_element

 

A fresh engine will run " hotter" as it beds itself in ; however I personally consider the temp you are seeing are perfectly normal
(what temp did your old setup see ? )
Modern engines are designed to run hotter than the old skool engines where 180F was hot; typically the elec fan on a late model car doesn't turn on until 225F +

 

My knowledge seems to be a bit outdated. Looks like its time to a refresher course. Thanks for the link.

 

I'm using a stock rated thermostat, I think its 190°. Stock radiator as well. "Puke tank" is filling up when hot lol. I never thought of getting a better radiator for my build. I'll do some research.

Thanks for the input guys.

 

That sounds just about perfect to me.

I don't see anything wrong with it.

You must be one of those people that has fallen for the myth that "water boils at 212°". That'll get you in trouble every time.

 

Well it turns out my newly installed gauge had a bad ground, causing a bad reading. After the 350 swap, I overlooked two ground connections from the old wiring harness I thought I didn't need. Oops.

Now the gauge reads 190-210.

Thanks for the replies guys!

 

Glad to hear it was an easy fix.